Associate Professors in Inorganic Materials Chemistry – Solid State Chemistry - Two Positions University of Oslo, Department of Chemistry

Two permanent positions are available at the Department of Chemistry for an Associate Professor in the subject area of inorganic materials chemistry – solid state chemistry.

The Department of Chemistry at UiO is the largest academic institution in Norway within research and education in chemistry. We have several excellent research groups interacting extensively with universities, research centres and industrial partners nationally and internationally. Our candidates qualify for a wide range of jobs in academic institutions, research institutes, industries, schools and colleges, as well as in the public sector. The Departments of Chemistry and Physics at UiO have jointly established a successful cross-functional strategic initiative, the Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology (SMN).

The open positions are organized under the Section for inorganic materials chemistry (UMK). The section has currently four professors, two adjunct professors, two technicians and one project coordinator. The UMK team counts a total of 40-45 co-workers including researchers, post doctor fellow as well as PhD, master and project students. Inorganic materials research is also conducted at other sections; on high temperature oxide chemistry, corrosion, environmental chemistry and analysis, as well as on materials for catalysis.

Section for inorganic materials chemistry (UMK; NAFUMA@SMN)

The research at UMK is experimental in nature, however, integrated with computational materials science. The activities on synthesis, characterization and simulations of inorganic functional materials range from nanoparticles and thin films to powders and crystals that find applications within sustainable energy, sensors, catalysis and industrial processes.

At UMK we focus on basic research using advanced tools to understand the interplay between atomic arrangement and properties. We have well developed collaborations with universities, research centres and industries, in Norway and abroad. We take part in three nationally prioritized centres; Centre for industrial Catalysis Science and Innovation (iCSI), Research Centre for Sustainable Solar Cell Technology and Mobility Zero Emission Energy Systems (MoZEES). UMK operates the national X-ray diffraction/scattering infrastructure RECX.

We aim at complementary expertise in the named areas to assure a well-functioning collaborative research environment.

In addition to the RECX national infrastructure, UMK operates a number of advanced laboratories; material synthesis (bulk and nanomaterials); thin film growth (Atomic Layer Deposition ALD); electrochemistry and battery research; surface science (reactor-STM, AFM); thermal analysis (TA, TG, DSC); physical properties (VSM, PPMS, MPMS), and furthermore also electron microscopy (FE-SEM), optical spectroscopy (UV-VIS-NIR, FTIR, PL, ellipsometry). Our computational science activities have excellent access to national supercomputers, NOTUR. We are fully integrated in the SMN centre. UMK has strong traditions in synchrotron and neutron based research, and is a key partner in collaborations and use of JEEP II (Kjeller, Norway), SNBL and ESRF, France, as well as ISIS, UK. The UMK section provides teaching within two study programs «Kjemi og biokjemi», and «Materialer for energi og nanoteknologi (MENA)» at Bachelor, Master and PhD levels.

Qualification requirements

We look for ambitious and well qualified inorganic materials chemists / solid state chemists in an early stage of their carrier. We require the selected candidates to document good and growing scientific productivity within topics of importance for our research priorities. The candidate must furthermore document skills within one or more advanced methods and tools of importance for inorganic materials chemistry / solid state chemistry. Specifically, we now invite for applications from candidates with expertise within one of the two sub-fields:

Battery materials; synthesis, characterization and operando studies

Functional oxides with focus on structure – property relations

The selected candidates are expected to take an integrated responsibility for research, laboratories, teaching, proposals and administrative tasks in close interplay with the UMK (NAFUMA) staff. Responsibility for one or more laboratories must be accepted.

The applicants must provide a plan/sketch for one or more research projects within one of the two requested sub-fields, and argue how their research will help developing and strengthening the UMK section. The applicants should likewise enclose a separate document on teaching experience, pedagogic skills and their ideas for teaching and interaction with students. In the evaluation of candidates, their level of independence, their experience in establishing networks and international collaborations as well as in attracting external funding will be given major weight. Personal suitability, willingness and ability to collaborate and supervise, is considered decisive. Research experience from longer stays outside the home (degree awarding) institution is required. The scientific profile of the applicant will be given weight in the final selection of candidates.

Required qualifications

The candidate must have documented:

Education and research training equivalent to a PhD in inorganic chemistry

Independent research and solid scientific qualifications within one of the two sub-fields as requested in the announcement

Experience from stays abroad and from international collaborations

Experience from writing proposals and obtaining external funding to research projects

Experience from being responsible for instruments and/or laboratories, and from procurement of instrumentation

Pedagogic training. The successful candidate who at the time of appointment cannot document basic teaching qualifications will be required to obtain such qualifications within a two-year period.

Experience from teaching in the university sector and from supervision of students

Teaching skills in Norwegian (or a Scandinavian language). Alternatively, the necessary skills must be learned and mastered within an agreed period of time.

Based on urgent needs for teaching resources, Norwegian (Scandinavian) candidates may be given priority in the selection process.

The top-ranked candidates will be invited to interview and must expect to provide trial lectures during this process.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

Formal regulations

The successful candidate who at the time of appointment cannot document basic teaching qualifications will be required to obtain such qualifications within a two-year period.

The successful candidate must demonstrate mastery of both English and one of the Scandinavian languages as working languages. If an appointee is not fluent in a Scandinavian language, the appointee will be expected within a two-year period to learn sufficient Norwegian to be able to participate actively in all functions the position may involve.

Please see the rules for Appointments to Professorships and Associate Professorships and Rules for the assessment and weighting of pedagogical competence.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.

The Department of Chemistry is Norway's largest institution within research and education in chemistry. Our research excels internationally and we educate students to a wide variety of jobs in industry, academia, research institutions, schools and public administration. Our research

ranges from the core topics of chemistry to applied science within in environmental, health, energy and materials. The Department has extensive contacts with industry, research and educational institutions at home and abroad. As partner in the Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology our researchers contributes to a significant interdisciplinary efforts in cooperation with the Department of Physics. The Department of Chemistry has its own school laboratory as a great resource for teachers, public outreach and the didactics of chemistry.